Additional 2014-15 Proposed Changes to the Graduate School Policies and Procedures Manual

CHAPTER-SECTION / OLD POLICY / CHANGE / COMMENTS
Chapter 1-D.3d / Guidelines for Minimum Requirements (bylaws) / Non-tenure WSU faculty (i.e., research, clinical, adjunct, affiliate) who are active participants within a graduate program may serve on, co-chair, or chair a committee if they are approved in the program bylaws and hold a degree of comparable level to the degree sought by the candidate. Adjunct faculty who are not WSU or WSU-affiliated USDA employees may not chair a committee; they may only co-chair or serve as a committee member. / A sentence was added for clarification regarding non-WSU faculty who may be on a courtesy adjunct appointment an may be approved as graduate faculty for a graduate program, but who are not employees of WSU.
Chapter 1-E.2. Examination Failure / Examination Failure policy / Examinations Failure: A student, Department Chair, or Committee member, or any other concerned member of the WSU community, may request an independent observer from the Graduate School for any graduate student examination. All such requests will be fulfilled and will draw on a group of faculty (Graduate Mentor Academy) who have agreed to serve in this role and have received appropriate training. During the scheduling process, the Graduate School will notify the student, committee and department chair if a Graduate Mentor has been assigned to an exam.
Examination Failure: If no external Graduate School representative is present at an oral or written preliminary exam/ballot meeting or at a final examination/ballot meeting for a master’s or doctoral student, a student who fails is automatically granted a second examination. If a Graduate School representative is present at the first examination/ballot meeting and confirms that the examination process was administered fairly and according to Graduate School policy, and the representative supports the recommendation of the committee not to re-exam the student, the Dean of the Graduate School will decide whether or not a re-examination is warranted. / Clarified the re-examination policy and the exception to it.
Chapter 1-E.6 / New policy / Electronic Signatures on Graduate School Forms. Electronic signatures are allowed by the Graduate School for the purpose of processing certain internal Graduate School student forms/processes. The use of any form of electronic signature as identified in section 6a below is binding for the individual signing the document and will be accepted by the Graduate School as such.
Proxy signatures (someone signing for another individual) are not acceptable unless the proxy has signed authorization from the individual for whom the proxy is signing. Such documentation must be attached to the form with the proxy signature. Electronic signatures are not accepted on the documents noted in section 6b below; there are no exceptions to this policy.
a. The electronic signature is a symbol, sign or process associated with an electronic form or record that has been made with the intent to sign such form or record. Examples include the following:
·  A name typed at the end of an email message by the sender, sent from the sender’s account that requires an ID and password to access.
·  A click on an “I accept” or “Submit” button in a system that requires an ID and password (i.e. zzuSIS).
·  Electronic signature processes associated with Adobe Acrobat files, such as EchoSign, which track the signature process.
·  A digitized or scanned image of an individual’s signature that the individual has placed on the form is acceptable as long as the image is used only by the individual whose signature it is and who has the authority and intent to sign the form. For scanned or digitized signatures, the electronically signed form must be sent as an attachment in an email message sent by the individual who signed the form, and this email must accompany the form when it is submitted. Departments that process forms with digitized or scanned signatures are responsible for verifying the authenticity of the signature via the email in which the form was sent.
b. Forms and documents that require an original signature in ink include the following:
·  Preliminary and final exam ballots and balloting memos
·  Memos requesting the dismissal (disenrollment) of a graduate student from a program
·  Memos denying reinstatement of a graduate student to a program
·  FERPA waiver forms
·  Correspondence to students regarding admission to or dismissal from a program
·  Formal grievances and appeal decisions
·  Medical documentation forms
·  Any form in which a current student waives his or her rights
NOTE: Scans and faxes of forms that contain original signatures are considered original signatures; however the originating department or individual should keep the original form on file. / Added electronic signature policy for Graduate School forms
Chapter 2-A.2 / Provisional Admits / A provisional degree-seeking student must maintain a 3.0 GPA or higher; auto-reinstatement for first semester students whose GPA fall between 2.75 and 2.99 does not apply to provisionally admitted students. If a provisionally admitted student falls below a 3.0 GPA in their first semester of study, the program may choose not to reinstate the student. / Added language regarding the first semester for provisionally admitted students. Auto reinstatement for those who fall below 3.0 GPA is not an option; the program may reinstate the student if appropriate
Chapter 3-A.6 / Dual Degree Programs (WSU and External Institutions) / An example is the dual MBA/JD degree program between WSU and the University of Idaho. / Deleted—program no longer exists.
Chapter 3-E.4 and E.5 / 702, 700/800 credit policy / For 702 credits prior to Fall 2013, only the S/F grades may be used to replace the X grade. For 702 credits taken in Fall 2013 and beyond, only the S/U grades may be used to replace the X grade.
For 700 or 800 credits prior to Fall 2013, only the S/F grades may be used to replace the X grade. For 700 or 800 credits taken in Fall 2013 and beyond, only the S/U grades may be used to replace the X grade. / Added clarification regarding S/F grades prior to Fall 2013
Chapter 4-B / Provisional Admission / A provisionally admitted student must maintain a 3.0 GPA or higher; auto-reinstatement for first semester students whose GPA fall between 2.75 and 2.99 does not apply to provisionally admitted students. If a provisionally admitted student falls below a 3.0 GPA in their first semester of study, the program may choose not to reinstate the student. / Added language regarding the first semester for provisionally admitted students. Auto reinstatement for those who fall below 3.0 GPA is not an option; the program may reinstate the student if appropriate
Chapter 6-C.2 and 6-C.4 / Probationary Continuing Enrollment / Probationary status is only available to students immediately following their first semester of graduate study, and is not available to students who have been provisionally admitted.
Reinstatement of a provisionally admitted graduate student who falls below a 3.0 GPA following completion of one semester or one summer session, or of a graduate student who falls below 2.75 GPA following completion of one semester or one summer session will be considered only through a petition from the graduate student to the program chair. / Automatic probationary status is not available to students who have been provisionally admitted and whose GPA falls below 3.0 during their first semester.
NOTE: Reinstatement of a provisionally admitted graduate student will be considered only through a petition from the graduate student to the program chair.
Chapter 6-C.3 / Added specific reasons for termination: (1) If the student has been provisionally admitted and has a cumulative GPA below 3.0 at the end of the first semester of study. (2) If the student has failed a preliminary or final exam for the first time with a Graduate School representative present, and a second examination is not recommended by the faculty committee, program chair, or representative; in such cases, the Dean of the Graduate School will review the case and make the final determination. (3) If the student is unable to assemble and maintain a faculty committee. / For policy clarification.
Chapter 6-G.2.a.iii / Clarification of existing policy / Non-graded (S, M, F) professional coursework may not be used toward the core graded course requirements on the Program of Study. / Clarification
Chapter 6-G.2. / Transfer Policy / Online coursework will no longer be considered as an exception to policy as long as it meets the transfer credit requirements. / See separate policy update, attached.
Chapter 7-B.1 / Non-thesis program of study / Added: If the non-thesis curriculum is officially approved with a capstone (500-level) course in place of 702 credits, a ballot meeting is still required in the final semester in which the capstone course is taken to determine if the student has successfully met all of the program requirements.* / Added guidance for programs that do not require 702 credits but use a capstone course.
Chapter 7-C.2 / Clarification of non-thesis program requirements / Added: Non-thesis students may be required to take a comprehensive examination, or do a written paper, and/or oral presentation as part of their non-thesis special problem/project. / Clarification
Chapter 7-C.3 / Final Master’s Examination / A member of the student’s committee will be appointed by the Graduate School to serve as the Graduate School liaison regarding the examination process (balloting, etc.). A student, graduate program chair, committee member, or any other concerned member of the WSU community may request that the Graduate School provide an independent observer to be present at any final examination/ballot meeting. This request will be held confidential. All such requests will be fulfilled by drawing upon a group of faculty, designated as the Graduate Mentor Academy that has agreed to serve in this role and has received training to do so. All repeat examinations or defenses will have such an independent, outside representative. During the scheduling process, the Graduate School will notify the student, committee and department chair if a Graduate Mentor has been assigned to an exam.
Chapter 8-C.2 / Preliminary Doctoral Examination / At least three months, but no longer than two academic semesters excluding summer, must lapse between a failed examination and a re-examination.
A member of the student’s committee will be appointed by the Graduate School to serve as the Graduate School liaison regarding the examination process (balloting, etc.). A student, graduate program chair, committee member, or any other concerned member of the WSU community may request that the Graduate School provide an independent observer to be present at a preliminary examination/ballot meeting. This request will be held confidential. All such requests will be fulfilled by drawing upon a group of faculty, designated as the Graduate Mentor Academy that has agreed to serve in this role and has received training to do so. All repeat examinations or defenses will have such an independent, outside representative. During the scheduling process, the Graduate School will notify the student, committee and department chair if a Graduate Mentor has been assigned to an exam.
Chapter 8-C.6 / Final Doctoral Defense Exam / A member of the student’s committee will be appointed by the Graduate School to serve as the Graduate School liaison regarding the examination process (balloting, etc.). A student, graduate program chair, committee member, or any other concerned member of the WSU community may request that the Graduate School provide an independent observer to be present at any preliminary or final oral defensefinal examination/ballot meeting. This request will be held confidential. All such requests will be fulfilled by drawing upon a group of faculty, designated as the Graduate Mentor Academy that has agreed to serve in this role and has received training to do so. All repeat examinations or defenses will have such an independent, outside representative. During the scheduling process, the Graduate School will notify the student, committee and department chair if a Graduate Mentor has been assigned to an exam.
Chapter 12-C.1 / Clarification of timing with existing policies / NEW: If the student wishes to appeal a grade that has led to the recommendation that the student be terminated from the Graduate School (for academic deficiency or examination failure, for example), the student should make every effort to file his/her appeal as soon as possible and to work through the grade appeal process in a timely manner. Formal grievances submitted to the Graduate School regarding dismissal due to a failed examination or academic deficiency will not be delayed due to the grade appeal process; formal grievance decisions made by the Dean of the Graduate School will be based on the grades officially listed on the student’s transcript. If the student’s grade is changed due to a grade appeal decision made after the formal grievance process has been completed, then the program chair may request that the Dean of the Graduate School review the case based on the grade change and make a determination regarding reinstatement. / Clarification of timing related to appeal process for grade and appeal process for Graduate School.
Chapter 12-C.3 / Clarification of existing exception to reexamination policy / NEW: In some cases of first examination failure, the student may not be given an opportunity to take a second and final examination. In these exceptional cases, the first examination must have had a representative from the Graduate Mentor Academy (appointed by the Graduate School) present for the oral examination and/or balloting meeting (if no oral examination was given). If this representative confirms that the examination process was fair and proceeded according to Graduate School policy, and if the representative agrees with the faculty committee and program chair that a re-examination is not an appropriate disposition of the case, then the Dean of the Graduate School will review the case and make the final determination whether or not to re-examine the student. The student may appeal the decision by filing a formal grievance with the Graduate School. For details, see Section E, Part 3 of this chapter. / Clarification of existing policy

2014-15 Graduate School Policies and Procedures Summary of Changes Page 1